The Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF) has an initial “apprehensive” response from its members regarding the recent announcement of the new Common Agriculture Policy (CAP).
“Crofters are finding the implications of the Cabinet Secretary’s announcement difficult to work out” said SCF Director Joyce Wilkinson. “There is a lot of ‘spin’ and unknown detail, so it is hard to get a grip on what will happen to us. I think that many fear that, for those keeping cattle on the rougher ground, it will be the end.”
Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead announced that the rough grazing would be split into two regions with the larger one, extensive hill ground where many common grazings are found, receiving 10 euros per hectare (against high quality land receiving 220 euros per hectare).